You already have. If you’re any good at sales you’ve got a swathe of useful and applicable skills – communications, listening and an ability to build strong relationships quickly.

So your next step is to decide what kind of training you want to do and for whom. One route is to apply to a specialist communications training company. Or there may be a training department in your current company that you could investigate joining.

As a rule there two broad types of training. The first is transferring data into people’s heads or giving them bigger words for things they still can’t do. The second is transforming people by building new skills into them or helping them develop their current skills. Both have their place though the second kind tends to fare better during a downturn. Or recession. Or whatever the correct term is for an economic nose-dive.

There are many different train-the-trainer courses available by searching on the internet. Having one of these under your belt would do no harm. Like changing any job, you need to tailor your CV to the requirements of the new job, research the key players in the market, figure out what you have to offer them (as a sales person that one shouldn’t be a problem) and get working on it.

Eoghan McDermott is Director of Careers, The Communication Clinic . www.communicationsclinic.ie